Reap What You Sow | Hosea
By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Hosea Chapter 4:1-10
4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. 2 There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away. 4 “But let no one bring a charge, let no one accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest. 5 You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother— 6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. 7 The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful. 8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. 9 And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 10 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution.
In chapter 4, the Lord rebukes the Israelites using the events in the prophet’s life, because they are just like the adulteress. 4:1 “Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.”
The word ‘charge’ can mean to argue or to reason. The Lord was allowing the Israelites to argue with him, to see if God was right or wrong. This is hard for us to imagine – the King of the universe, the Almighty God, humbling himself to talk to his people.
In this dialogue, the Lord tells the Israelites that all the difficulties they are facing at that moment were a result of what they themselves have sown. They shouldn’t blame others nor God. There was no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. And the result was only cursing, lying, and murder, stealing and adultery. They broke all bounds and bloodshed followed bloodshed. What’s more, the sins of mankind also brought disasters to the natural world too 4:3 Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away. Many natural disasters are caused by mankind and we really suffer from the consequences of our own deeds.
From verse 4 to verse 10, the Lord primarily wanted to rebuke those who were priests. They were the nation’s leaders, but they did not fulfill their responsibilities as leaders. They did not teach the people the Law. The Lord said in verse 6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” The Lord sighed, “The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me.” As a result, He declared, “I will exchange their glory for something disgraceful.” This is also reaping what they have sown! If the leaders still will not repent, God says in 4:10 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord.”
Everything we do has consequences. Do not think that God knows nothing. On the contrary, He knows everything, and evildoers will surely reap what they have sown. What are we waiting for? When will we begin to fear the Lord? Let us humble ourselves and seek his forgiveness in prayer now!
Previous post: What a Wonderful Love! | Next Post: Guard Your Heart Above All Things
自食其果 | 何西亞書
張國強牧師
何西亞書 4:1-10
4:1 以色列人哪, 你們當聽耶和華的話; 耶和華與這地的居民爭辯, 因這地上無誠實、無良善、無人認識神。2 但起假誓, 不踐前言, 殺害、偷盜、姦淫、行強暴、殺人流血接連不斷。3 因此, 這地悲哀,其上的民, 田野的獸, 空中的鳥, 必都衰微, 海中的魚也必消滅。4 然而人都不必爭辯, 也不必指責, 因為這民與抗拒祭司的人一樣。5 你這祭司, 必日間跌倒, 先知也必夜間與你一同跌倒, 我必滅絕你的母親。6 我的民因無知識而滅亡, 你棄掉知識, 我也必棄掉你, 使你不再給我作祭司, 你既忘了你神的律法, 我也必忘記你的兒女。7 祭司越發增多, 就越發得罪我; 我必使他們的榮耀變為羞辱, 8 他們喫我民的贖罪祭, 滿心願意我民犯罪。9 將來民如何, 祭司也必如何, 我必因他們所行的懲罰他們, 照他們所作的報應他們。10 他們喫, 卻不得飽; 行淫, 而不得立後, 因為他們離棄耶和華, 不遵他的命。
從第四章開始, 神藉著先知所發生的事來責備以色列人, 因為他們就如那位淫婦一樣; 4:1耶和華與這地的居民爭辯, 因這地上無誠實、無良善、無人認識神。爭辯這個字的意思可以是辯論, 理由; 神允准以色列人來與祂辯理, 看看神這樣作是對也是不對, 宇宙的君王,全能的神竟然謙卑下來與人對話, 這是我們不可想象的事。
在這次對話中神告訴以色列人, 他們現在所面對一切的困難都是他們自食其果, 不要埋怨人更不要埋恐神。因這地上無誠實、無良善、無人認識神。結果帶來的是: 發假誓, 不踐前言, 殺害、偷盜、姦淫、行強暴、殺人流血接連不斷。不單如此, 人的罪帶來自然界的災難, 4:3 因此, 這地悲哀,其上的民, 田野的獸, 空中的鳥, 必都衰微, 海中的魚也必消滅。很多天災都是人造成的, 我們真是自食其果。
從第四節開始到第十節, 神主要責備那些作祭司的, 他們是國家的領袖, 但他們卻不負起作領袖的責任, 他們沒有用律法來教導百姓, 結果第六節神說:「我的民因無知識而滅亡, 你棄掉知識, 我也必棄掉你, 使你不再給我作祭司, 你既忘了你神的律法, 我也必忘記你的兒女。」神又發出一個很大的嘆息, 祭司越發增多, 就越發得罪我; 結果神宣告說: 我必使他們的榮耀變為羞辱。這也是自食其果啊! 如果作領袖的還不悔改, 神說: 4:10「他們喫, 卻不得飽; 行淫, 而不得立後, 因為他們離棄耶和華, 不遵他的命。」
我們所作的每一件事都有後果的, 不要以為神什麼都不知, 相反, 祂凡事都知, 作惡的都要自食其果, 我們還不敬畏祂還要等到什麼時候呢? 現在謙卑在祂面前求赦免吧!